James Merriman (23 October 1816 – 13 May 1883) was an Australian cooper, whaler, publican, shipowner, alderman, mayor of Sydney and member of the New South Wales Parliament.

In 1843 he married Anne Thompson, with whom he had five children, one of whom, George Merriman (1845–1893), would later serve as a politician, representing West Sydney in the Legislative Assembly from 1882 to 1889.

[3] In July 1847 he applied for the license of the Whalers' Arms public house, Windmill Street, Miller's Point; one of three pubs with that name in Sydney at the time.

In 1872 his vessel the barque James Merriman was lost at sea while engaged in the pearl shell fishery in Torres Strait.

In the whole of the City of Sydney, it is to be questioned if there was any one who had the amount of influence of the deceased ... Mr Merriman was quietly and unobtrusively charitable.

He was foolish enough to give away a great deal of money, and to never advertise it ... [he] lived in a large but rather rambling house in Argyle Street.